“Passive income” is a marketing phrase. Digital products are leveraged income: heavy effort upfront, modest maintenance forever.
Templates and starter kits
Build time 1–3 weeks, price $12–$49. The product is easy; distribution is the job.
Mini-courses
Build time 4–8 weeks, price $39–$199. Cohort pilots beat pre-recorded launches — run it live twice, record the third.
Micro-tools and plugins
Recurring revenue is possible, but so is recurring support. Budget 3–5 hours weekly for issues and updates.
Paid newsletters
The most demanding format — you are signing up for a weekly deadline.
Pricing that respects the buyer
Price against the outcome, not the file size. One tier, a team licence, no fake countdown timers.
The launch that actually works
- Build an audience of 500 relevant people first.
- Ship a small version and sell it to 10 people manually.
- Rewrite the sales page using their words.
- Only then automate.
Expect this revenue curve
Most first products earn $200–$1,500 in launch month, then settle at 20–40% as evergreen income.
